Issue 4, 2023

A study to assess the health effects of an anticancer drug (cyclophosphamide) in zebrafish (Danio rerio): eco-toxicity of emerging contaminants

Abstract

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is widely used for treating various kinds of cancer. Because of its high intake, metabolism and excretion, these anticancer medications have been detected in the aquatic environment. There is very limited data on the toxicity and effects of CP on aquatic organisms. The present study aims to assess the toxic effect of CP on certain oxidative stress biomarkers (superoxide dismutase-SOD, catalase-CAT, glutathione peroxidase-GPx, glutathione-GSH, glutathione S-transferases-GST and lipid peroxidation-LPO), protein, glucose, metabolising enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase-AST, alanine aminotransferase-ALT), and ion-regulatory markers (sodium ions-Na+, potassium ions-K+, and chloride ions-Cl), and histology in the gills and liver of Danio rerio at environmentally relevant concentrations (10, 100 and 1000 ng L−1). Exposure to CP for 42 days led to a significant decrease in SOD, CAT, GST, GPx and GSH levels in the gills and liver tissues of zebrafish. The level of lipid peroxidation in the gills and liver tissues of zebrafish was significantly increased compared to the control group. Chronic exposure significantly changes protein, glucose, AST, ALT, Na+, K+ and Cl biomarkers. Fish exposed to different levels of CP showed necrosis, inflammation, degeneration and hemorrhage in the gills and hepatic tissues. The observed changes in the studied tissue biomarkers were proportional to both dose and time. In conclusion, CP at environmentally relevant concentrations causes oxidative stress, energy demand, homeostasis disturbances, and enzyme and histological alterations in the vital tissues of zebrafish. These alterations were similar to the toxic effects reported in mammalian models.

Graphical abstract: A study to assess the health effects of an anticancer drug (cyclophosphamide) in zebrafish (Danio rerio): eco-toxicity of emerging contaminants

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
24 Dec 2022
Accepted
05 Mar 2023
First published
16 Mar 2023

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2023,25, 870-884

A study to assess the health effects of an anticancer drug (cyclophosphamide) in zebrafish (Danio rerio): eco-toxicity of emerging contaminants

T. Hema, S. Mohanthi, S. Umamaheswari, M. Ramesh, Z. Ren and R. Poopal, Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2023, 25, 870 DOI: 10.1039/D2EM00527A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements